What have you noticed this spring in and around Brattleboro?
- Outlet Center renovations are coming along nicely. Looks like we get one of those official “outlet center cupolas” at the corner, too. Look out, Manchester.
- Potholes are big enough for small families to inhabit.
- Fiber optic cables being strung all over the place.
This is the super-easy way for you to help future historians by making note of little things that others don’t feel are important to make note of. What have you noticed recently?
Bloomin' blooms
Weekend of April 10th-11th was a hot one… near 80’s. A bit too soon for things to be in bloom… but they are.
Easy one
The Mobil station at Exit 3 is being re-built.
Trains
Announcement that Amtrak service returns July 19, according to BDCC.
June is busting out all over
Brattleboro survived the April snow and everything is now budding and blooming (April 19).
Looks great. But again, too soon!
Others say...
Dunkin Donuts closed for a couple of days (says Twitter).
Positive COVID tests at Putney Rd Quality Inn (says Reformer)
High and Main walk light
Looks like the Town repaired the walk signal at High and Main. For much of the past year the walk light has activated on every cycle. Twice thru the intersection in the past few days and the walk cycle was skipped with no pedestrians to push the button.
Gary
10 digit phone calls
Announcement that everyone will need to dial 802 along with the 7 digit number for all local calls, ramping up now and by October of this year. This is to accommodate a new national 988 number for suicide prevention and mental health crises.
Businesses
Koffee Kup bakery closes…says the TV news.
Putney Rd Bike Lanes
Everyone must have noticed this. It’s almost too obvious for me to mention. But I will…
Bright green bike lanes on Putney Road to accompany the new crosswalks and safety measures.
Busy spring
The Reformer has a new owner, again. The paper has been sold to a semi-local investor. (Our buyout offer must be lost in the mail….)
The lack of Vermont Bread Co (Koffee Kup) products and jobs is annoying people…complaints of missing muffins, as well as lawsuits for proper shutdown pay.
Vermont Circuit Board building
Activity at the old Vermont Circuit Board building on Technology Drive.
Looks like somebody moving in
Newfane Notice
New owners are fixing up the Newfane Store…
Vermont Center for Photography move
From their newsletter:
“we are excited to be MOVING this summer to a brand new custom-built location at the heart of downtown Brattleboro!!
The new space, located at 22 High Street will feature an overall 30% larger (fully accessible) space, larger more flexible exhibition/event space, top-notch digital photographic service offerings, library/lounge/meeting area to kick back and spend some time immersing yourself in all things photography, a brand new digital lab classroom space fully equipped with computers, printers, & scanners to offer world-class photographic education opportunities, an enhanced traditional darkroom space, a new and improved retail space to house our beloved PhotoThrift shop – and much more – all nestled into a central downtown building that is under redevelopment this year to become an artist/maker-space hub in the region!”
….
(NOTE: newsletters are great sources for this sort of news tidbit… what have you read in your newsletters? Not everyone gets every newsletter! Share it! )
Tito's Tacos
… has opened a store in the parking lot of Hannaford. They’ve upgrade from the food truck next door and taken over the place that used to be a bank/pizza place.
Looks nice… they are preserving the ability to sit out and eat, which seems to be a favorite of fans.
Taste of Thai in Tito's old location
Taste of Thai moved from the Mobil station to the spot vacated by Tito’s move, so now Putney Roaders can get Thai food more easily with much better parking.
Flat Street Light
The stoplight at Main and Flat has been knocked to the side.
More
Fresh line markings on roads!
Great and funny event title sequences on the marquee at The Latchis
and, a fascinating Daily Beast article about the Belarus billionaire buying up southern Vermont.. including the newspapers. https://www.thedailybeast.com/belarusian-currency-trader-paul-belogour-is-buying-up-tiny-vermont
VT Bread
Mrs. Dunsters are buying Vermont Bread Company. New owner is from Canada and got state incentives to help them do this.
VT Bread Company should be returning shortly.
Vt Bread
I miss their multi-grain English muffins. Much better than Thomas’s I think.
Gary
Loud planes season
Jet fighters are doing exercises over southern VT again. Ugh. Noisy!
Last year VT didn’t know whose planes they were for weeks. They were from Massachusetts.
Not Mrs. Dunsters...
Flower Foods of Georgia is actually buying Vt Bread…
https://www.flowersfoods.com/news/news-releases/2021/06-07-2021-213101646
“The Koffee Kup and Vermont Bread Company brands have a strong consumer following in the region and we’ll be evaluating their role within our brand portfolio. We have no immediate plans to reopen the bakeries but will be assessing how they may fit our strategic network optimization efforts in the future.”
and
“Among the company’s top brands are Nature’s Own, Dave’s Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse, and Tastykake.”
Vermont Bread
Dave’s Killer bread is available at most stores in town and was in direct competition with Vt Bread for the higher end products. Looks to me like a purchase to eliminate competition. I tried it a couple times a while back. Good bread but the second loaf went moldy on me in a couple days and I never bought again. Also very expensive. Sorry Vermont Bread.
gary
Our chain is being yanked
I tried Dave’s as a back up once. Expensive and not quite as good as I would have hoped. (Tastykakes were good as a kid, but not for sandwiches…. : ) )
Well, VT Bread seems to have been ‘bought’ by a hedge fund, a MA company, a Canadian company, and now a Georgia company… all in little over a month.
Maybe there will be another sale later this week.. : )
New Stop Sign on Guilford St
As I pedaled down Guilford St on my bike this morning, looked up and said to myself, “looks like a stop sign I just blew past”. This is at the crosswalk at the park entrance. Didn’t notice if there is one in both directions. Have not read about this on any of Chris’s select board writeups or else where. Could be there is no ordinance to go with the sign which means you can blow thru it also. 🙂 Unless there is someone at the crosswalk.
Stop sign
Now an ordinance and you should probably stop.
Repaving Western Ave
Out in West B, paving has happened to a good portion of Western Ave. Let’s hope they carry it thru to Sunset Lake Rd. It’s overdue and very good to see.